Process and apparatus for canning citrus fruit



6 Sheets-Sheet l E. H. LEFEVRE Filed Aug. 20 1924 PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR GANNING CITRUS FRUIT Nov. 11 1.924.

Nov.m 11 1924. A 1,511,774

' E. H. LEFEVRE PRoESs AND APPARATUS FCR CANNING AcITRus FRUIT Filed Aug. 20 1924 6 vShams-sheet 2 C` C; g C. I; Q f# fl l- 1"; 'lij- @g A. C Il C f." m3

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E. H. LEFEVRE PRocEss AND APPARATUS FOR CANNINQGITRUS FRUIT Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 20, 1924 NOV. 11 1.924.

E. H. LEFEVRE PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR CANNING CITRUS FRUIT Filed Aug. 20, 1924 6 Sheets-Shea?. 4

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E. H. LEFEVRE PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR CNNING CITRUS FRUIT Filed Aug. 2O 1924 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 ir, ia.

Patented `.mUGENIl H. LEFEVRE, F AVON BARR, FLORID, ASSIGNOR TO'VO CANNING COM- PANY; or avon 1, FLORIDA, A co i TION 0F FLORIDA.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FUR CANNING CITRUS FRUIT.

4Applicationy filed August 20, 1924. Serial No. 733,244.

'To all 'whom t may concem.'

Be it known that I, EUGENE H. LEFEVRE,

- a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Aon Park, in the county of Highlands and l State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes? and Apparatus for Canning `Citrus Fruit, of

which the following is a specification.

' This invention relates to the preparation and canning of citrus fruit, more particularly the hearts orsegments of grapefruit sometimes termed pomelo.

'The canning of grapefruit has been in its experimental stage until the advent of the present invention. Many difficult problems have confronted the canner in preparing the hearts or segments of the grapefruit in a manner that will not injure the tender structure thereof, so as to obviate decay or de teriorationy after canning. Also considerable trouble has been experienced, in the processes heretofore attempted, in obtaining whole hearts or segments which will neatly and firmly pack in the can and will survive the rou h-"f handling incident to transportation andr selling. y

The ordinary processes and apparatus heretofore used for the preparation and canning of fruits and vegetables Will not answer for successfully preparing and canning grapefruit for the market, and it has been necessary to solve the problems of preparing and canning grapefruit from an original study of the peculiar characterwhich necessarily must ybe complied with in order to obtain a canned product of that.

attractive and palatable condition.

The present invention has been in success.--y ful operatlon under actual factory cond1-l tions and has achieved its principal object of providing a novel's process by means of which the fruit first can bef peeled in a manner that will not ,cause bleeding or other injury to the fine superficial textures ofthe fruit, leaving the ball of fruit in a condition and form well adapted for withstanding the subsequent treatment of loosening the rag about the ball of fruit, and the membrane or adhesions between the segments constituting the socalled hearts, lso, the invention has for its object a novel and ecoistics of Ithis fruit and the requirements' nomical way of handling the ball of fruit thus treated to facilitate and expedite the opening up of the ball into its individual .segments or heart and introducing the latter into the cans. Furthermore, in that connection the invention contemplates a novel disposition and construction'of the various tables and conveyors Where the peeling, segmenting and can filling operations occur 1n order that the Work of the operators may be performed with the least amount of effort and expenditure of time, While also convenient` and desirable points of inspection are provided so that wastage is reduced to a minimum, and the very best sanitary conditions observed and maintained. l

With these and other objects in View which will be apparent to those familiar with this new industry the invention consists in the novel process steps and novel apparatus hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

Though susceptible of a wide range of modification without departing from the spirlt of the invention a preferred and practical embodiment of the process as well as of the apparatus are exemplified in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1l is a diagrammatic plan view showing thelay-out of the complete apparatus.

Figure 2 is a sectional'view of the scalding and cooling units, as indicated bythe line 2--2 on Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detailelevation of an end portion of the Ipeeling unit.

Figures 4f and 4 are broken views, in section of the alkali and washing stations for the peeled fruit.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the peeling unit on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Figure 6 is an' elevation of an end portion of the segmenting and packing table.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a packing, table on the line 7--7 of Figure 6.

Figure S is a detail view showing a, stack of the vfruit segment trays used in the combined fisegmenting, and packing tables.

\ Figure 9 is a detail viewshowlng the referable formv of segmenting scalpel emp oyed in opening the ball of fruit. l

Figure 10 is an elevation of thev can supply unit between a pair of segmenting and packing tables.

VThis scalding treatment is preferably performed in a scalding device or scalding uni!l designatedgenerally by theletter A and consisting of lan open vat- 1 containing Water and through which vat travels a propelling Aconveyor 2. The propelling conveyor essentially consists of the endless belts 3 traveling over suitably driven sprockets 4 and carrying the propeller blades which have a sweeping movement over the bottom of the vat'l and through the water therein. The distance between the propeller blades 5 is preferably sufiicient to provide a space between every pair of such blades which is of a sufficient capacity to accommodate a whole box of grapefruit, so that in o-peratioii the scalding device or unit is treating several box-fuls of grapefruit at one time.

The water in the vat 1 is preferably kept at a temperature of not less than the boiling point, and the movement of the conveyor 9. is sufficiently slow so that it will take a period of from three to five minutes, according to the atmospheric temperature and size of the grapefruit to convey each batch of the fruit from the receiving end of the scalding unit to the delivery end at which latter end of the scalding unit there is arranged a cooler unit designated generally by the reference letterB.

The cooler unit B nray be of any preferred construction but preferably consists of an inclined series offsuitably driven rollers 6 arranged in an upwardly inclining open chute 7 extending from the delivery end of the vat to the receiving platform of the peeling station, presently to be referred to.

The cooler unit is open and exposed to atmospheric temperature, and during the passage of the fruit upwardly lon this unit it cools down to a temperaturerof approximately 150 Fahrenheit, that is until it is sutiiciently cool to be comfortably handled by the peelers at the peeling station designated generally by the reference letter C. The exposed rotating rollers 6 function to turn and lift the fruit thereby acting both as conveyors and as a means to facilitate uniform pre-cooling of the fruit before it is handled by the peelers at the peeling station.

The peeling station C, in the plant lay-out shown in the drawings may be conveniently.

wardly and inwardly to a common peelings trough `11 adapted 'to receive 'the peelings from the peeling operation preferably having associated theneiwitli a suitably operated conveyor 12 which cai'ries the peelings to a discharging point where they' are collected, preferably for use as a by-product in maliing a candied peel. f

Between the work tables 9 of the peeling station C the latter is constructed with a feeding runway 13 in which is arranged a carrier belt 14 upon which is adapted to be placed the wire or foraminous fruit holding askets 15 into which are placed the balls` of fruit after the peeler has removed the skin or' peel, and the said carrier or carrier belt 14 carries the baskets of peeled fruit to the next `station in the lay-out, where the sa me are subjected to the chemical treatment hereinafter referred to.

In addition to the features referred to the peeling station C has constructed within the top part thereof a fruit bin 16 having al canvas or equivalent 'soft body portion 17 so that the unpeeled fruit can be thrown into the bin, and held in reserve therein for the workers without injury 'to the fruit. And, above the fruit bin 16 the peeling station has mounted therein the upper and lower runs' 18 and 18a respectively of a wine mesh or equivalent conveyor' which is employed respectively for the return to' the peeling station ofthe fruit baskets 15, and for advancing the warm fruit along the peeling stationso that the operators or peelers can remove the fruit ,from the said lower run 18a of the conveyor and place it temporarily 'inthe fruit bin 16. In this connect-ion it will be observed that the lower conveyor run 18a contiguous to one end of the frame work 8 constitutes a receiving platformlf) onto which, the fruit is delivered from the upper end ofthe cooler unit B as plainly shown at the rightI hand end of Figure '2 of the drawings.l

The warm fruit, at the peeling station is peeled in a particular manner. That is to say it is not sliced nor whittled by shaving oft' the peel with the attendant danger of caiisingbleeding of the fruit and considerable waste. As distinguished from that undesirable method the operator at the q peeling station slits the peel' or skin four 1 trates the peel or skin. After that is done the skin or peel'pfreely st-rips olf of the ball of fruit without tearing or injuring the latter in the slightest degree. That is made possible by the preliminary steps of scalding` and cooling above referred to.

The balls of fruit, after peeling, still have adhering thereto the thin membrane commonly' called the rag which Vmust be removed before the segments ca-n be separated. Heretofore this has been. attempted by peeling off with a knife and that operation also causes bleeding of the fruit and vconsiderable waste. To accomplish that desirable result and also to soften the membrane or tissues which cause adhesion between the segments or hearts of the grapefruit the present in# vention provides for following the Ipeeling operation with a chemical treatment of the balls of peeled fruit in the foraminous baskets l5. In other words the baskets 15 of peeled fruit are carried alon carrier or conveyor 14l to an inspectlon point m, where the same can Iirst be inspected and then placed on the upper run of a fabric or equivalent foraminous conveyor belt 20 and as the baskets of peeled fruit are carried along by the conveyor 2() they are subjected successively to an alkali lbath and to a water cleansing bath. The alkali solution, for the alkali bath preferably consist of a 5% solution of caustic soda and Athis solution is contained in a chemical 'tanlr 2l. This chemical tank may be conveniently arranged above the belt 2O and is equipped with a plurality of spray devices. Each of these spray devices preferably is of speciall construction and. consists of a-n upturned discharge nozzle 22 having a pipe connection 23 with the interior of the tank 2l and an approximately conical inverted shower hood 24 arranged over the nozzle 22'.

The special arrangement of the nozzle 22 and the hood 24 provides for a very gentle,

pressureless, shower or flow of the liquid over the fruit in the baskets. It has been found that direct sprays of the chemical,

even under slight pressure is very undesirable and causes cnet-ration of the fruit ball that starts ecay and deterioration. Accordingly it is an important phase of the process of the present invention not to spray the fruit balls under pressure but on the contrary to provide for a gentle fall or flow of the .liquld over the fruit through the baskets, and through the conveyor 2O into a catch basin or tub,25 from which the solution is returned to the tank 21 by means of a suitablepump 26 and a piping system 27 as indicated by the arrowsfonligure 4 of the drawings. The flowing of` thel caustic by the solution over and about the balls of fruit may be supplemented if desired by employing al supplemental spray device or nozzle 23 connected with `the piping system of the pump 26 and arranged at a predetermined distance below the belt 20 so that the latter will act as a baffle for the upstream from the nozzle 28, but permit the caustioto reach Ythe fruit through the bottoms of the basket.

The one conveyor belt 2O carries the baskets of peeled fruit past the chemical `v station to a primary series of washing units E acting as rinsers and in these 'units the wash water is reused at leastseveral times.

Furthermore for the sake yof uniformity in manufacture, and results to be obtained, each unit orlrinser E is similar in construction and fittings to the chemical unit D.

AThat isto say each washing or rinser unit E consists vof a Water tank 29 equipped with spray devices like those described, a catch basin or tub 30, a'circulating pump 31, piping system 32 and supplemental spray devices. 38l like the spray device 28 previously described. v

Beyond the Washing or rinsing units E a final washing unit F is associated with the conveyor belt 20, and fresh water, which is not reused is employed in that final washing unit.. The said final washing unit inmental spray device 28 like those previously described.

The chemical treatment in the unit B serves to loosen the frag or membrane on cldes a fresh Water tank 33 equipped with i the ballof fruit as fwell as to soften the membrane or ligaments holding together the segments or hearts of the fruitf, and after all traces of the caustic solution have been removed fromY the balls of fruit by the rinsing and final washingoperationsthe baskets of fruit-are carried by the conveyor belt 20- onto azicross conveyor 36 (Figure 10), being directed on to the latter by a curved guide 37, andl from the cross conveyor 36 the baskets of peeled; chemically treated 'and washed fruit are deposited on the lower run 38 of a conveyor belt ,39 (Figs. 6 and-7),

driven in any suitable mannerand mounted l within the upper frame work 4 0 of a cornbined segmenting and packing table 431. In the lay-out illustrated in Figures 1 andl 11 of the drawings,v a pair of said tables 41 are advantageously erployed in spaced parallel relation with a can'supply'unit G located between the said tables-and serving both of them 'i Each combined segmenting and packing-fi table 41 is preferably constructed as shown in Figures 6, 7 and 11 of the drawings the same consisting of a base frame 42 supporting the oppositely arranged work tables 43 and 44 respectivelyv for the segmenters and the packers and both of which incline downwardly and inwardly to a centrally `arranged dra-in or waste trough 45 to receive drip- 'pings and any discarded material. superstructure or upper frame work 40 supports at the top thereof the upper run 46 of the belt 39, and also has mounted at the side thereof a supportingsnbracket 47`above the points where the packers are stationed and adapted tov temporarily hold thereon the trays 48 of empty cans for lthe use of the packer operating onthe table 44. Furthermore the upper frame work 40, below the belt run 38 and at eachA workers station is provided with the transverse guideways 49 adapted to slidably support the down- -Ward side flanges 50 of the fruit segment trays 51. Contiguous to their flanged side edges each of ,these trays is.` preferably grooved as at, 52 to permit of the stacking of a number of these trays as shown in Figure 8 of the drawings should this become necessary or desirable in the operation of the factory.

In using the combined segmenting and packing unit 41 each segmenter working over the table 43 takes a basket of the previously peeled and treated fruit from the lower run of the conveyorbelt 39 and places it on the table 43, and then opens each ball of fruitpreferably by means of a bamboo scalpel 53 of the type shown in Figure 9 of the drawings. This tool when inserted in the end of the ball of fruit opens up the ball and by a` slight twisting movement of the,1

tool the segments orf hearts of the ballwvill fall apart and can be placed on the fruit segment trays 51 which are then introduced into the guideway49 and slid over to the packers side of the unit where each packer working over the table 44 can take the fruit' segments or hearts from the tray 51 and place them in the cans 54.

As previously noted, a supply of empty cans with a sugar content previously placed therein is conveniently accessible to the packer from the bracket 47 ,and after the supply of cans has been filled by the packer, the same, in the trays are placed on the lower run 55of a conveyor belt 56 monntedto be driven through and over the frame work 57 of the can supply unit G previously referred to..` The conveyor run 55 carries the tray of filled cans to a point where the guide or equivalent device 58 deflects the same onto the lower run 59of a. conveyor beltf() operating 'in a cross conveyor Istand 61 loeated'at the end of the unit G and extending to ascale table S where the weighing of the filled canstakes place before they are delivered to the The canning machinery which forms no part of the present invention.l 'Ihe upper run 62 of the belt 6() is intended to receive the empty trays 48 from the lscale table station and tol supply unit G so that they may be taken otl" by the packers and placed on the brackets 47. A stop 67 at one end of the conveyor 66 will serve to arrest movement of the tra ys of sugared cans if not removed by a packer before reaching that point.

When 4the segmenter at the table 43 empties a fruit basket 15 such empty basket is placed on the upper run 46 of the belt39 and is carried therebyto a point where it is guided on to the cross top return belt 68, and thelatter carries the empty basket to a point where it is directed a-t 69 onto the top return 'belt 70 which closely eonnectes with or is a .continuation of the upper conveyor run 18 extending over the peeling station. At the end of'each combined segmenting and packing unit 41, as at y, inspection points may advantageously be provided for an inspecter.

canning which consists in successively scalding and cooling the fruit and subsequently stripping the whole peel from ythe ball of fruit. and then subjecting the latter successively to alkali 'and water.

3. A process forpreparing citrus fruit for canning which consists'in successively scalding and cooling the fruit, stripping the whole peel from the ball of fruit and then subjecting the ball of fruit successively to a solution of alkali and to wash water.

4. A process for preparing citrus fruit for canning which consists in rst scalding the fruit, then stripping the whole peel from the ball ofy fruit, next subjecting the ball of fruit to an alkali solution and finally opening the ball .of fruit ,'to separatethe individual segments or heart's for insertion whole peel from the ball of fruit, subjecting the ball of fruit successively to a solution of,

' removing the peel by stripping it from the ball of fruit and subsequently flowing the caustic solution without pressure/'over the ball of fruit preliminary to opening the lautter.

7. A process for preparing citrus fruit for canning which consists preliminarily in removing thepeel by strippinf it from the ball of fruit, and subsequently subiecting the ball offruit successively to a substantially pressureless flow of alkali and wash water.

8. A process for preparing citrus fruity for canning which consists first in successively scalding and cooling the fruit,'then stripping the whole eel from the ball of f fruit, passing the bal of fruit successively through baths of alkali and water and finally opening the individual balls and placing the resulting segments or hearts into cans.

9. An apparatus for preparing cltrus fruit for canning including a scalding vat having propelling means therein, anI elevating coolin .unit arranged at the delivery `end of the sca ding vat, a feeding unit having peeling tables, a conveyor.I run-way for the peeled balls of fruit'and conveyor means for the return of empty containers for the balls of fruit, and means for subjecting the balls of fruit-to chemical action and washing after leaving the peeling unit.

c 10. An apparatus for canning citrus fruit comprising means for preliminarily scalding and coolin the fruit, and a peeling unit comprising a rame-Work having oppositely arranged peeling tables, a conveyor run-way between said tables for containers holding peeled balls of fruit, a storagebin above said run-way and conveyorv means for receiving the unpeeled fruit andvv for returning the containers for the balls of fruit.

11. -An apparatus for canning citrus fruit comprising means for preliminarily scalding and cooling the fruit, and a peeling unit consisting of a lframe-work having therein oppositely arranged peeling'l tables, waste chutes in communication with said tables, a conveyor run-way between said tables for carrying the containers holding the peeled balls of fruit, astorage bin above said runway and conveyor means above the storage bin for respectively receiving the unpeeled fruit and for returningthe containers for the peeled balls of fruit.

p12.- An apparatus comprising a peeling unit having conveyorl means forI foramino-us containers for the peeled balls of fruit, and Ia ;chemical treatment unit including a conveyor "ffor said fora-minous containers and means for gently flowing a chemical through said container and over and abo-ut the peeled balls olif` fruit therein.

j 13. An apparatus comprising a peeling unit having conveying means for Icontainers carrying the peeled balls of fruit, and a combined chemical treatment and washing uni-t treatment and washing unitincluding con.-

Veying means for said containers, catch basinsS below said conveying means/and a plurality of tanks for chemical and wash water arranged above said conveying means, each of .said tanks being provided at the bottom with spray devices including shower hoods for gently flowing the liquid over and about the fruit, one of said tanks being provided with a continuous freshf water Supply t 15. An apparatus comprising a peeling unit, a combined chemical treatment and washing unit, conveying means for carrying the peeled balls of fruit from the peeling unit to and through the combined chemical and washing unit, a combined segmenting and packing .unit arranged to receive the peeled and treated fruit from the chemical and washing unit. *1,

16. An apparatus comprising a peeling unit, a combined chemical and 'washing unit, foraminous baskets adapted to hold the peeled balls of fruit, conveying means for carrying said baskets from they peeling unit through yand past the chemical vand washing unit, combined segmenting and packing units adapted to receive the baskets oitA peeled fruit, and 4a can supply unit operatingbetween a pair of the combinedsegmenting and packing units.

17. An apparatus comprising a peeling unit, a combined chemical and washing unit following the peeling unit, and a combined segmenting and packing unit arranged to receive the fruit from the chemical and washing unit, said segmenting and acking unit including oppositely arranged work tables respectively for the segmenters and the packers, al guide-way between the two tables and a fruit segmenting tray adapted to be supported and guided bythe said work tables respectively for the segmenters 1 y and the packers. a super-structure having a transverse guide-way, and conveyor means respectively for the peeled and chemically treated balls of fruit and for the return of the empty containers for the balls of fruit, and a fruit segi'nent tray adapted to slidably engage said guide-nay.

19. In an apparatus for handling fruit `tor packing including a combined segmenting and packing table having a. guide-Way from one side of the table to the other, and a fruit segment tray adapted to slidably engage said guide-way.

20. In an apparatus for handling fruit for packing includin 4 a combined segmenting'and packing table having a guide-way from one side of the table to the other, and

,a flanged fruit segment tray adapted to 'slidably engage said guide-way.

21. An apparatus for handling fruit for canning including a combined segmenting and can packing table comprising a framework having oppositely arranged work tables respectively for the segmenters and packers, a waste trough between the said two tables and a` super-structure having a support for the empty can tray, a trans-verse guide-way and' conveying means respectively for the peeled and treated fruit and for the return of the empty containers for the peeled fruit.

22. In an apparatus of the class described,

means for preliininarily peeling and chemically treating the fruit,y a combined seg-A dling fruit for canning purposes comprising a peeling unit, a combined segmenting and packing unit, a combined can supply unit, wire baskets for peeled fr uit, trays for Vthe cans, and a system of interconnecting conveyors comprising means forl carrying baskets of peeled fruit through the combined chemical and washing unit tothe segmenting and packing unit and for return ing the empty baskets to the peeling unit for delivering empty sugared cans to the packing stations, for delivering the filled cansv to the scale table and for returning the empty can trays to a station for re-illing. In testimony whereof lI hereunto aix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' EUGENE H. LEFEVRE. Witnesses JAMES H. MARR, D. I). WOLHAUPTER. 

